Cura Coffee
Cura Coffee works directly with Cura Smiles to fulfill the organizations’ mission of
expanding access to sustainable dental care.
In 2003, Cura Smiles founder, Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick, embarked on his first mission trip to Nicaragua to work at a dental clinic. While volunteering at the dental clinic, he saw countless children who had been living with decayed and infected teeth. Thomas met with local families, learned about their backgrounds and experiences, and fell in love with the small community outside the city of Managua.
Thomas returned to Nicaragua nearly every year that followed. In 2010, he and a team of dental professionals were invited to Boaco to provide care to a community of coffee growers. This community represented Tierra Nueva Union of Cooperatives consisting of 650 coffee growing families with little or no access to dental care. Through collaboration with the Foundation for Worldwide Health, UNICA, Tierra Nueva, and Rotary International, a dental clinic was built and equipped for continued use by Nicaraguan dental professionals.
Thomas was inspired to find a more sustainable approach to supporting the hardworking farmers and families of the Tierra Nueva Coop. So, in 2013, the concept of Cura Coffee was born.
In partnership with Coffee and Tea Collective, Cura Coffee intentionally sources and roasts coffee through small-lot producers, ensuring ethical coffee sourcing practices and paying premium prices to support the coffee-growing communities.
Coffee profits are invested in our mission, supporting sustainable dental care in underserved communities.
Cura Coffee has supported dental care efforts in Nicaragua and is currently supporting the Cura Smiles clinic in San Diego.